Mechanism for traversing alpha recording medium



NOV. 8, 1932. WARWICK 1,885,856

MECHANISM FOR TRAVERSING A RECORDING MEDIUM Filed Dec. 15, 1931 3 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY .Nov. 8, 1932. H. L. WARWICK MECHANISM FOR TRAVERSING A RECORDING MEDIUM Filed Dec. 15, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hill- WARWICK ATTORNEY NGV. 8, i932.

MECHANISM FOR TRAVERSING A RECORDING MEDIUM.

Filed Dec. 15, 1951 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTQRNE? H. L. WARWICK 386,656

Patented Nov. 8, 1 932 HAROLD L. WARWICK, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS MECHANISM FOR TRAVERSIlfTG A RECORDING MEDIUM- Application filed December 15, 1931. Serial No. 581.199.

My invention relates to mechanism for traversing a recording medium for recording and reproducing sounds and vibrations; and the object-is to provide mechanical means for traversing or Winding and rewinding wire or ribbon upon which sounds and Vibrations are recorded and reproduced by electro-magnetic means. Another object is to provide a simple automatic control of the recording and reproducing rovide automatic control of the wire or ribon so that it will be wound uniformly on the reels. Other objects and advanta es will be fully explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the drawings which form a part of this application.

Fig. 1 is a face View of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of the device, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the control head. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the control head,

showing the means for adjusting the solenoids. r

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the spool holding device.

F i 8 is a detail view of the safety switch for t e recording medium.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the solenoids, showin their position relative to each other.

Fig. 10 is a diagram of the solenoid winding and connections.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The machine is provided with a base 1 which supports the mechanism for winding the recording medium from one spool to the other and the actuating means for the recordingand reproducing head. Housings 2 and 3 are provided for the spools and these housings are supported on the base 1 by means of upright supporting arms 2 which are rigid with the base. Each of the housings 2 and 3 are provided with bearings 5 made integral therewith. Spools 4 and 4 are provided in the machine for winding the recording methe base 1 and medium. Another object'is to the shaft 11 dium from one to the other and these spools are provided with shafts 6 and 6, respectively, which are journaled in the bearings 5. The shaft 6 is provided with a friction pulley 7 and the the shaft 6 is provided with a friction pulley 7 each keyed to its respective shaft.

An electric motor 12 is slidably mounted on provided with a drive pulley 13 and an idler 14. A bracket 16 is mounted 60 on the motor 12 to serve as a bearing for the shaft 15 of the idler 14 so that the idler will be held in contact with and be driven by the drive pulley 18. When the motor is slid upon its mounting the drive pulley'13 will contact with and drive the friction pulley 7' and when the motor is slid in the opposite direction the idler 14 will contact with and drive the friction pulley 7. This structure permits the operator to drive either of the spools 4 or 4 by manually sliding the motor upon its slide mounting.

A recording head 28 is adjustably mounted on the machine and disposed between the spools 4 and 4'- The head 28 is provided with a shaft 11 which is journaled in a bearing 9 on an arch 8. The arch 8 is rigidly connected to the spools 4 and 4 and spans the'gap between the spools. The arch 8 is also provided with a bearing 10 rigidly attached thereto for the support of a shaft 19. The recording head 28 is positioned in the machine so that the wire or ribbon 29 will pass through the head. The shaft 11 is provided with a continuous thread and the head is keyed to the shaft 11 so that the head 28 will travel backward and forward on the shaft to insure uniform alinement of the wire 29 on the spools 4 and 4' when the wire is wound from one spool to the other.

The threaded shaft 11 is provided with a pinion 21 keyed thereto and meshed with a pinion 20. The pinion 20 is keyedto the shaft 19 and the other end of the shaft is provided with a worm gear 18. The spool shaft 6' is provided with a worm 17 which meshes with and drives the worm gear 18. When the spool 4 and its friction wheel 7 is driven will be rotated by means of the worm and gear and the pinions.

0 'with a roller 54 which completes the circuit.

'means is in the The recording head is slidably mounted on the shaft 11 and consists of two sections and 31 which are ivotally connected tother at their base y means of a shaft 32.

he shaft 32 extends longitudinally with the head-and is provided with a yoke 33 in the center thereof which is adapted to receive the shaft 11. A set screw 34 is provided in the yoke 33' for holding the yoke in contact with the continuous threads of the shaft 11. Each of the sections 30 and 31 of the head carries a block 35 which is adapted to slide longitudinally in the member or section and be adjustably positioned by the set screws 36 which pass through the frame of the head 28. The blocks 35 are drilled to receive electro-magnets 37, 38, and 39. These magnets are held relative to each other in each block 35 and the blocks 35 are positioned in the head 28 by means of the set screws 36. The magnets 37, 38, and 39 are made in pairs and their positions are shown iin Fig. 9. The

magnets are so wound as to provide for erasing or de-magnetizing, polarizing and recording, audible sound vibrations, and recording visional vibrations. A transmitter 40 to the electro-magnets for recording sound vibrations b means of a wire 41 WhlCll connects with t e pair of magnets 38. A battery 42 and a transformer 43 are included in this wiring, as shown in Fig. 10. A wire 44 from the magnets 38 A switch is interposed 42 and transformer 43, and the magnet 38 so that reproduction of the recorded vibrations may be secured through connecting wires 45 and 46. A wire 47 is connected to the wire 41 between the switch 45 and the magnets 38, and a wire 48 is connected to the transmitter 40 for making a circuit to the de-magnetizing pair of magnets 37 and a second winding on the recording pair of magnets 38 which also serve as polarizing magnet. A battery 49 and a resistanoe 50 are provided in circuit with the wires 47 and 48. y A switch 51 is also provided in this circuit for opening this circuit. The pair of magnets 39 is provided for recording visional vibrations on the medium 29 by means-of electrical wiring 52. A scanning disk and cooperating parts are connect ed to the circuit 52 for conditioning the object to be transmitted so that it may be recorded on the medium 29 and reproduced therefrom. This mechanism is not shown or claimed in this application. Means'are provided in the machine for automatically stopping the motor 12 when more or less of. the recording medium is wound on or off the reels 4 and 4'. I This form of a switch which is journaled on the base 1 and provided with a swingin arm 53. The arm 53 is provided contacts with the to the transmitter 40. between the battery tact 57 is moved is electrically connected recording medium wound on the reel4' so that variation in the amount of the wire on the reel 4 will cause the arm 53 to swing on its pivot 55. The lower portion of the arm 53 is provided with an extending arm 56 which is made rigid therewith and swings in an are when the arm 53 is actuated or made to move by the recording medium 29 on the reel 4. The end of the arm 56 is provided with a contact 57 which rides against an are shaped contact member 58.- This member is supportedon the base 1 by means of a bracket 59 so positioned as to contact with the contact 57 as long as there is a redetermined amount of the recording me ium on the reel 4'. When the arm 56 travels beyond the extrem-. ity of the contact 58, or the swing of the arm 56 is greater than the length of the are contact 58, the power supply to the motor 12 will be broken. One wire 59 motor 12 is connected to the arm 56 and its contact point 57 so that the current will pass through the contact points 57 and 58 to make the circuit. A switch 60 is provided in this circuit to bridge beyond the contact 58 and the circuit is broken. This switch, is manually operatedto supply the motor 12 with current until the supply of the recording medium 29 is back tonormal on the reel 4.

Means are provided for removing the reels 4 and 4' tively. The axles are rovided with drilled openings 63 in their en s to receive a plug 32" which is provided with a groove 61. A portion of the plu 32 is cut away flush with the groove to al ow the projection 30' to pass into the groove 61. When the plug '32is turned in the axle the cut away portion 31 allows the cleat 30' to pass into the groove. The cleats 30' are rigidly attached to the reels 4 and 4 so as to project into the openings of the reels for receiving the axles; As soon as the cleats 30 pass into the grooves 61, the plugs 32 are allowed to return to normal osition in the axles so that the reels will be eld against longitudinal movement on their axles.

The plugs are provided with an elongated ex.- tension 62 which is adapted to extend into the drilled openings 63 in the axles. The plugs 32 are held in the drilled openings 63 by means of a coil spring 64 which is positioned in the openings so as to give a resilient'longitudinal movement to the plugs. One end of the spring 64 is pinned to the axle and I the other end is attached to the extension 62 of the plug 32. When the reel is to be removed from the axle, the plug 32 is turned in the axle so that the cleat 30 may pass out of the groove 61 by way of the cut away portion 31' of the plug 32. The base of the motor 12 is provided with a downwardly, projecting arm 23' which passes throug a slot in the base 1 and this aim is provided with a slot .in its lower end of the circuit to the 5 this passage when the confrom their-axels 6 and 6' respecfor the lever 23 to pass through. Manual movement of the lever 23 will cause the motor 12 to be slid on its tracks 22 which are rigid with the base 1 of thedevice.

It is apparent that various chan es may be made in the sizes, proportion, and arrangement of this devioewithout departing from my invention.

What I claim, is:

1. In a mechanism for traversing a recording medium consisting of a base for revolubly supporting two reels provided with axles keyed thereto, each of said axles provided with a friction pulley rigidly attached thereto, a motor slidably mounted on said base and provided with a drive pulley and an idler driven thereby, said drive pulley adapted to contact with and drive one of said friction pulleys and said idler adapted to engage and drive the other friction pulley, a reciprocating recording head disposed between said reels and adapted to permit said mediumto pass therethrough, means for actuating said recording head, and means for sliding said motor on said base for driving said reels intermittently.

2. In a mechanism for traversing arecording medium consisting of a base for revolubly supporting two reels for winding said medium from one reel to the other, said reels provided with axles keyed thereto, each of said axles provided with a friction pulley keyed thereto, a motor slidably mounted on said base and pror ided with a drive pulley and an idler driven by said drive pulley, sai drive pulley and said idler adapted to engage and drive their respective friction pulleys, a reciprocating recording head disposed between said reels and adapted to permit said medium to pass th'ereihrough, said head provided with electro-magnets adapted to magnetize said medium during its passage through said head, means for energising said electro-magnets, means for actuating said head for uniformly winding said medium on said reels, and means for sliding said motor for intermittently driving said reels.

3. In a mechanism for traversing a recording medium consisting of a base for revolubly supporting two reels for winding said medium from one reelto the other, each of said reels provided with and keyed to an axle, each of said axles provided with a frictz'on pulley keyed thereto, a motor slidably mounted on said base and provided with a drive pulley adapted to engage and drive one of said friction pulleys, an idler carried by said motor and driven by said drive pulley, said idler adapted to engage and drive the other of said friction pulleys, a recording head disposed between said reels and adapted to direct said medium in its passage from one of said reels to the other, means for enerhead provided with electro-magnets adjustably mounted therein and adapted to magthereby,

netize said medium during its passage from one of said reels to the other, means for energizing said electro-magnets, means for reciprocating said recording head axially with said reels, and means for shifting said motor on said base for revolving said reels intermittently.

i. In a mechanism for traversing a recording medium from one reel to another consisting of a base for revolubly supporting said reels, each of said reels provided with an axle keyed thereto, friction pulleys keyed to each of said axles, an electric motor slidably mounted on said base and adapted to drive said pulleys intermittently, a reciprocating recording head disposedbetween said reels and adapted to direct said medium in its travel from one of said reels to the other, electro-magnets adjustably mounted in said head and adapted to magnetize said medium,

said recording head consisting of two mem bers hingedly connected together and adapted to be opened to disengage said medium, means for reciprocating said head axially with said reels, means for energizing said electro-magnets for recording sound. and visional vibrations on said medium, and means for sliding said motor on said base. 5. In a mechanism for traversing a recording medium from one of two reels to the other consisting of a base for supporting said reels, axles keyed to said reels, a friction pulley keyed to-each of said axles, an electric motor slidably mounted on said base and provided with a drive pulley and an idler driven said drive pulley and said' idler adapted to engage and drive their respective friction pulley intermittently, a recording head interposed between said reels and adapted to engage and permit said medium to pass therethrough, electro-magnetic means carried by said head for recording and reproducing audible and visional vibrations on said medium, an electric switch j ournaled on said base and adapted to engage and be actuated by the bulk of the recording medium wound on one of said reels, said switch adapted to open the circuit to said motor when more or less of the predetermined amount of said medium has been wound on or off of the last named reel, means for energizing said electro-magnets, means for actuating said recording head for uniformly winding said medium on said reels, and means for sliding said motor on said base for intermittently revolving said reels. I

6. In a mechanism for traversing a recording medium from one reel to another consisting of a base adapted to 'revolubly support said reels, an axle keyed to each of said reels and provided with a friction pulley, said pulleys keyed to said axles, a motor slidably mounted on said base and provided with an idlerand a drive pulley driven thereby, means for sliding said motor on said base for engaging said idler with one of said friction pulleys and engaging said drive wheel with the other of said friction pulleys for driving said reels intermittently, a revolving shaft carried by said base and interposed between said reels, gearing ed to be driven by one of said axles, one end of said shaft provided with a continuous thread, a' recording head mounted on said shaft and keyed to said-thread, said head consisting of two parts hingedh connected together and adapted to carry electro-magnets adjustably mounted therein, said magnets ada ted to magnetize said medium'for recor ing and reproducing audible and visional vibrations therein, magnets, one ofsaid magnets adapted'to demagnetize said medium, and one of said magnets adapted to polarize the magnetism of said medium.

In testimony whereof, I set my hand, this 18th day of November, 1931.

HAROLD L. WARWICK.

for said shaft adaptmeans for energizing said- 

